Wärtsilä has been contracted to provide a comprehensive scope of solution for three new 2,800 passenger cruise vessels owned by Virgin Voyages. The vessels are to be constructed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.
The order includes engines, hybrid exhaust cleaning scrubber sys[ds_preview]tems and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. The ships will each be powered by two eight-cylinder and two twelve-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines.
The hybrid scrubber system selected for these vessels has the flexibility to operate in both open and closed loop modes using seawater to remove sulphur oxides (SOx) from the exhaust, Wärtsilä stated. Significant reductions in the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates will be made possible by the Wärtsilä SCR system. The Finnish technology group will also handle the commissioning of the engines and scrubber systems in cooperation with the shipyard.
Navigation and automation controls for the vessels will be efficiently handled by the Wärtsilä‘s Nacos Platinum solution. By integrating various control and monitoring systems, such as those for navigation, automation, emergency shutdown, flood detection, plus power and propulsion, the vessels can be operated homogenously from various onboard positions. According to the manufacturer the truly multi-functional operator stations enable unequalled flexibility and convenience.
Virgin Voyages is the latest of the international Virgin Group‘s travel businesses. The company plans to create a completely new experience at sea for its cruise passengers, and the ships have been designed with the latest technologies accordingly. Florida based Virgin Voyages‘ cruise operations will commence in 2020 from Miami with the delivery of the first of these three ships. The other two vessels will be delivered in 2021 and 2022.
